Description
Growing up in Bannockburn, Victoria, on a small sheep and vineyard property, she was surrounded by people whose lives revolved around vineyards. Philippa had an appreciation for fine wine from an early age.
In 2003, Philippa immersed herself in vintage life at Brokenwood, where after completing her 1st year of a Bachelor of Wine Science, she returned to work full time and study part time, completing vintage 2004 and 2005.
Just to ensure her childhood upbringing on a sheep farm was not her true passion, she pursued a farming career in the following years. This is how she found herself in Gippsland, though the continuing thirst for wine experience saw her complete vintages at Bellvale, Bouzeron, Domaine Dujac, By Farr and Purple Hen.
After 4 years of living in Gippsland, Philippa seized the opportunity to make her first Gippsland Pinot Noir 2012.
“I have had my eye on this particular vineyard for the past 18 months so when vintage 2016 from the Mornington was on the cards, I was very excited. The vineyard is south-east facing and seems to take just a few extra days to ripen than the vineyards close by. The growing season started off quite dry, but summer rain worked in our favour, producing clean, full bunches at 2 tonne to the acre. Picking occurred in early March.
The blend of clones for this wine resulted in 50% 115, and 40% MV6 with 10% 114, which were two separate ferments, allowing room to find that sweet spot at blending. Wild ferments were allowed to take hold and 25% whole bunch used to produce structure and complexity. The ferments took well over a week to take off, with the cold soak being slightly too effective but patience saw both ferments finish just under three weeks. Then into 30% new french oak, the wine was racked twice over 17 months before going to bottle, with no filtration.
The 2017 Mornington Pinot Noir is off a vineyard coming up to 20 years old, with predominately clone 115, and some MV6 and 114. These vines are grown on a south east facing slope, on rich red loam over course gravel.
A vintage where everything feel into place, goods rains, and no disease pressure, low crops that were very clean, a warm dry build up to picking, of neat, compact bunches. Picking occurred perfectly, 7 days after the birth of my second little girl!” Phillipa Farr.
This 2017 is super smart Pinot from daughter of one of Australia’s great winemaking families.
96 points, James Halliday “The perfect vintage got underway 7 days after Pip gave birth to her second daughter. Three clonal blocks are wild-fermented with 25% whole bunches, each spending 30 days on skins and 18 months in French oak (30% new). It isn’t surprising that this should be a very, very powerful and complex pinot, forest floor the platform on which spicy, savoury dark fruits and briary whole bunch characters should take control.”
Mike Bennie, The Wine Front “Mornington Peninsula vineyard from between Merricks and Merricks North, a three acre site and south facing. There’s about thirty percent whole bunch here. The site is 20 years old and one of the last picked in the area (Merricks). A delicate expression for the overall feel of pinot noir from Mornington, gladly seen. Warm scents of pretty red cherry/raspberry fruit characters, a sniff of cinnamon, faint dark chocolate, sweet and attractive. Some flesh in the palate but still quite light in terms of weight and flavour, juicy red berry fruit, licks of clove and faint smokiness, a touch of malt to close. Finishes relatively light on, a touch sappy, but fresh. Nice drinking here.”
RRP $58 Our Special Price $48.99
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